I don't have a reception place for September - HELP!

DS is 5 in Feb. We had planned to move from Brighton to Staines for months; at one point it looked like it wasn't going to happen and as such DS has a schoolPlace in Brighton. Surrey would not let me apply until I had proof of address in Staines which was fair enough. In the end our move happened quite suddenly about ten days ago. I've applied to Surrey but I've now been informed that he may not get allocated a school place at all for Sept. I do know what to do other than keep on at them.

Another Mnetter suggested approaching the neighbouring counties (Bucks/Berks) but I don't know if I am allowed to do that?

What you need to do is ensure that you have formally applied for a place at a Surrey based school. Surrey have an admission criteria that gives some priority (after sibling etc) to the school that is nearest based on straight line distance measurement.So you really need to apply for a place at the school that is nearest to you. If Surrey cannot find a place for your son within reasonable travel distance then they will have to admit to a school by law. If you have put down the local school as your first preference that may help if they are really that short of places.However what Surrey will do is look for places being available at all the schools within a 2 mile radius of your home. You need to be looking at all these schools and getting your name on Surrey's waiting list for places at all schools that seem within reasonable walking distance of your home. If you are on the waiting lists it does give you a chance of being offered a place by September.However being reasonable most schools will be shut for the majority of August and Surrey may have difficulty speaking to the schools to confirm whether a place is available. They do not have to immediately offer you a place and I think you do need to be thinking in terms of not having a school place offered until sometime in September.

I would ask to go on wait lists for as many schools as possible in the area, and look to see if there is a place that you can accept maybe slightly further away whilst still remaining on the waitlist for nearer schools.

If you look at the offers info from SCC those that do not give a distance cut off printed with the offer details are the ones that offered all the children that applied for a place, so at the time of the lists being published there was no one on the waitlist. Also quite a few of the schools in Spelthorne look like they have put on bulge classes and will have 60 rather than 30 intake, or some 90 rather than 60. You can tell them by the ** after the no of places offered. Worth asking about spaces at these even though they appear full per the listings as there is a higher probability of getting a place at them, given they have most likely already mopped up nearly everyone on their waitlists. Good luck.

Quick update: DH spoke to the schools people yesterday and DS is now officially in the system in Surrey. We should hear on or before 20th August if and where he has a place. Nothing's resolved yet but I feel oddly relieved that they clearly have a system for this type of late applicant!

Windsor & Maidenhead is very short on foundation spaces, so there really is no hope. Admission mention SCC looking at all schools within a 2 mile radius. The closest RWBM schools are all further from Staines than this.

There is probably a bit more slack in Runnymede schools (ie Hythe, Thorpe Lea, Thorpe) rather than Spelthorne. Do you live close to the bridge?

Oh feck. Phoned today as told for an update. DS is currently number 15 on the waiting list for our first choice, 11 for our second. He's been offered nothing else at all, no place anywhere. I've got to email them with a list of schools we want to be put on the waiting list for. I dont what else we csn do if there aren't any places. Am currently investigating he education...

I'm told they're not obliged to find him somewhere until he turns five in feb. Any child with an earlier birthday will take priority. Presumably that means July/August born children could miss a whole year??

They are wrong. Refer them to paragraph 2.16 of the Admissions Code. This says they must provide for the admission of all children in the September following their fourth birthday. This is a statutory code so it has the force of law. They must find a place for your son now. They cannot put it off until he turns five.

Have you appealed? If not you should appeal for your first choice school immediately on the basis that the LA has broken one of the compulsory provisions of the Admissions Code and had they not done so your son would have a place.

Agree with PRH, the LA are confusing the need for compulsory education after 5 with the need to offer all a school place. Whilst I can see their point that children with an Autumn term birth date are probably their priority, they are breaking a compulsory provision of the Admission Code.As PRH says you need to appeal immediately. I would appeal for both the schools applied for and word the appeal such that the LA having failed to meet the mandatory requirement to provide a place, you need either the panel to award a place or for the LA to invoke the Fair Access Protocol to give you a place at one of the schools.

I haven't appealed yet, I only found out today he had no place. So, just to clear this up in my mind, they are legally obliged to find him a place for sept. I need to either appeal or at least ring them again and put my foot down.

PRH I'm not sure about the last bit you said; they may have broken the admissions code but he wouldn't have a place at the school regardless as we applied late and there was already a waiting list. Are you saying they've broken the code by not offering him a place there, or by not offering him a place at all? Sorry for all the questions, I just want to make sure I'm absolutely right before I attempt to kick arse!